Published: Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.

During the next few decades, the Barclay West development could bring more business to the area around 17th Street and Independence Boulevard. More business, though, means more traffic.

According to planning documents submitted for the development, which runs along Independence Boulevard between South 17th Street and Carolina Beach Road, the roughly 300 acres currently generates about 4,500 trips every day.

The only sign right now that the sizable development could be on its way are two reflective markers that indicate where curb cuts may have to be made.

By the time the development is built out – a process that is expected to take 25 to 30 years – it will generate about about 62,850 two-way trips every day, including 5,835 trips during the afternoon rush hour.

"I would imagine the developer could have to make traffic improvements," said Bill Saffo, Wilmington's mayor. "The same thing happened with Mayfaire. When H.J. Brody developed Mayfaire, he had to make some traffic improvements and they bettered the road and bettered the quality of flow on that road."

Like Mayfaire, the proposed Barclay West development would be mixed-use, with about 1.5 million square feet of retail, 1.5 million square feet of offices, 40,000 square feet of restaurants, 25,000 square feet of community business retail and 1,375 apartments.

Saffo said that a larger mixed-use development can be better for the traffic situation in a given area than more scattered growth.

"It alleviates the number of curb cuts," he said. "That's one of the problems we have on Market Street. If you took a stretch of Market that was the length of Mayfaire and overlaid it, Mayfaire only has four or five driveway cuts where in the same length of Market Street, you could have up to 60 curb cuts."

On their end, the Cameron family, the owners and developers of the property, say they're willing to work with the city and N.C. Department of Transportation to make whatever changes are necessary.

"We have to take care of the traffic that we generate," said Hill Rogers, broker in charge at Cameron Management.

According to a traffic impact analysis submitted to the city and conducted by Ramey Kemp & Associates, improvements would include turn lanes on Carolina Beach Road and Shipyard Boulevard, as well as installing some entrances on George Anderson Drive. When the project is finished, the analysis said, it should have about 15 access points.

The development will come in phases over the next few decades, with the first piece possibly being a residential development. As such, the traffic upgrades will take place in the same piecemeal manner as the building.

"It all doesn't develop at one time, and the first phase of the development doesn't trigger all of the traffic improvements being done at one time," Rogers said.

<p>During the next few decades, the Barclay West development could bring more business to the area around 17th Street and Independence Boulevard. More business, though, means more traffic.</p><p>According to planning documents submitted for the development, which runs along Independence Boulevard between South 17th Street and Carolina Beach Road, the roughly 300 acres currently generates about 4,500 trips every day. </p><p>The only sign right now that the sizable development could be on its way are two reflective markers that indicate where curb cuts may have to be made.</p><p>By the time the development is built out – a process that is expected to take 25 to 30 years – it will generate about about 62,850 two-way trips every day, including 5,835 trips during the afternoon rush hour.</p><p>"I would imagine the developer could have to make traffic improvements," said <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic72"><b>Bill Saffo</b></a>, Wilmington's mayor. "The same thing happened with Mayfaire. When H.J. Brody developed Mayfaire, he had to make some traffic improvements and they bettered the road and bettered the quality of flow on that road."</p><p>Like Mayfaire, the proposed Barclay West development would be mixed-use, with about 1.5 million square feet of retail, 1.5 million square feet of offices, 40,000 square feet of restaurants, 25,000 square feet of community business retail and 1,375 apartments.</p><p>Saffo said that a larger mixed-use development can be better for the traffic situation in a given area than more scattered growth.</p><p>"It alleviates the number of curb cuts," he said. "That's one of the problems we have on Market Street. If you took a stretch of Market that was the length of Mayfaire and overlaid it, Mayfaire only has four or five driveway cuts where in the same length of Market Street, you could have up to 60 curb cuts."</p><p>On their end, the Cameron family, the owners and developers of the property, say they're willing to work with the city and N.C. Department of Transportation to make whatever changes are necessary.</p><p>"We have to take care of the traffic that we generate," said Hill Rogers, broker in charge at Cameron Management.</p><p>According to a traffic impact analysis submitted to the city and conducted by Ramey Kemp & Associates, improvements would include turn lanes on Carolina Beach Road and Shipyard Boulevard, as well as installing some entrances on George Anderson Drive. When the project is finished, the analysis said, it should have about 15 access points.</p><p>The development will come in phases over the next few decades, with the first piece possibly being a residential development. As such, the traffic upgrades will take place in the same piecemeal manner as the building. </p><p>"It all doesn't develop at one time, and the first phase of the development doesn't trigger all of the traffic improvements being done at one time," Rogers said.</p><p>Adam Wagner: 343-2096</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @adamwagner1990</p>